The present invention relates generally to casting bobbers and more particularly relates to casting bobbers having predeterminable depth setting arrangements.
When fishing, it is conventional to provide a bobber on the fishing line adjacent the fishing hook so as to suspend the fishing hook beneath the surface of the water anywhere from a few inches to a few feet or more. For example, when fishing in a shallow pond or stream, it may be desirable to suspend a fishing hook beneath the fishing bobber about two feet or less below the surface of the water. When fishing in deeper lakes or for example, in the ocean, it may be desirable to suspend the fishing hook a considerably greater distance beneath the surface of the water.
In addition to providing the hook and fishing bobber on the fishing line, it is typical to provide some sort of bait at the hook and also to provide various weights such as split shot or sinkers approximately adjacent to the hook on the fishing line. In this way, the weight provided by the bobber, hook, bait and sinkers together provide sufficient mass so as to enable the fishing line to be cast a desired distance away from the fisherman. Whenever the fishing bobber is positioned more than a few inches away from the end of the line, however, casting can become both dangerous and difficult due to the effect of two or more weights being provided on the fishing line during casting.
In casting, it is typical to position the fishing rod so that the free end of the fishing rod is provided rearwardly of the fisherman. The fishing rod is then snapped forwardly so as to fling the bobber, hook and bait, and sinkers forward with sufficient momentum to pull the fishing line the desired distance away from the fisherman. Because the bobber and hook (with sinkers attached) are spaced sufficiently apart from one another, the different objects provided on the end of the fishing line cause the fishing line to frequently behave erratically and unpredictably. For this reason, a significant level of skill is required in order to cast a fishing line reliably and safely.
A significant amount of the skill required in casting can be reduced if the fishing bobber could be provided immediately adjacent the hook and sinkers during casting. It is important, however, to provide an arrangement whereby the fishing bobber can subsequently be spaced the preselected distance away from the fishing hook so that the fishing hook suspends beneath the level of the water the desired extent.
Frequently, it is desired to change a fishing bobber on a fishing line without first removing the hook and sinkers from the end of the fishing line. Various spring biased arrangements are provided for releasably attaching a fishing bobber to an intermediate section of a fishing line so long as the fishing bobber is releasably secured at a particular location of the fishing line. In the known fishing bobbers wherein the fishing bobber is received on the fishing line so as to be freely slidably along the fishing line over at least a portion of the fishing line, it is required that the free end of the fishing line pass longitudinally through the fishing bobber when attaching the fishing bobber to the fishing line. Such a procedure becomes particularly cumbersome and undesirable since the various knots which are provided to secure the sinkers and fishing hooks to the fishing line must be undone. After the free end of the fishing line has been passed through the fishing bobber, then the various knots are retied so as to again attach the sinkers and fishing hooks to the free end of the fishing line.
A depth finder and fishing bobber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,208,240 of Arnesen et al which issued on July 16, 1940 wherein the fishing line is adjustable so as to position the fishing hook a predetermined distance beyond the fishing bobber. The fishing line is initially passed axially through the fishing bobber with a sinker provided adjacent to the fishing hook. The sinker determines a lowermost position of the bobber on the fishing line. An uppermost position for the bobber is provided at the selected position on the fishing line by way of a knot. During casting, the buoyant fishing bobber is provided adjacent to the sinker and the fishing hook. After casting, the fishing line is pulled through the bobber by the hook and the sinker until the knot abuts the uppermost portion of the bobber. The interior of the bobber is open so that water may enter into the interior portion of the bobber.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,326,510 of Worden which issued on Aug. 10, 1943, a fishing line attachment is disclosed including a fishing line which passes axially through a bobber. The bobber is provided with an interior chamber having a bead which is provided within the chamber. The bead is buoyant so that the bead will rise in the chamber as the chamber fills with water. As the bead rises in the chamber, the bead will frictionally engage the fishing line and thereby position the bobber on the line. During casting, the bobber is initially provided adjacent to the lowermost portion of the fishing line. When a sinker of the fishing line has touched bottom, the bead will rise and engage the fishing line so as to prevent further movement of the fishing line through the bobber. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,499 of Simpson which issued on Mar. 19, 1957 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,634 of Simpson which issued on Sept. 9, 1952, fishing bobbers are disclosed wherein the fisherman can selectively fix the bobber with respect to the fishing line after casting. The fisherman applies a sudden pull to the fishing line so as to offset a rotatable member of the fishing bobber with respect to the central axis of the fishing bobber. In this way, the rotatable member will frictionally engage the fishing line and thereby fix the fishing line with respect to the bobber. During casting, the bobber is provided adjacent to the hook and sinker of the fishing line with the line then allowed to pass through the bobber a desired extent.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,087 of Milburn, Jr., which issued on June 27, 1972, a fishing bobber mechanism is disclosed including a latch which is provided to activate a mechanism that releasably fixes the fishing bobber on the fishing line. The bobber includes a spring biased plunger which is maintained in a first position by a latch. Upon a rapid upward movement of the line, the spring biased plunger is released so as to frictionally engage the line. When casting, the fishing bobber is initially provided adjacent to the hook and sinker. When the fisherman has determined that a desired amount of line has passed through the bobber, the fisherman manually trips the latch by pulling rapidly on the line to release the plunger.
Other fishing bobbers of interest are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,437 of Allison which issued on Nov. 12, 1940 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,226,331 of Allison which issued on Dec. 24, 1940. Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a casting bobber which is slidably received on an intermediate portion of a fishing line which bobber is initially provided adjacent the fishing hook during casting and which subsequently moves to a predetermined position on the fishing line.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing bobber wherein a section of tubing is provided on the fishing line at a preselected location to prevent movement of the fishing bobber beyond a predetermined length of the fishing line.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing bobber wherein the fishing bobber may be releasably secured on the fishing line along a longitudinal axis of the fishing bobber without first removing the hook from the free end of the fishing line.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing bobber having a mechanism whereby the depth at which the hook is suspended beneath the bobber can be determined by adjusting a shutter mechanism on the fishing bobber.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing bobber wherein the fishing line is selectively releasably engaged by the fishing bobber without providing an obstruction on the fishing line. These and other objects of the present invention are realized by a fishing bobber according to the present invention including a housing having a hollow interior which defines a chamber within the housing. The housing is provided with a top end and a bottom end with a passageway provided for receiving a fishing line. The passageway is adapted so as to releasably secure the housing on the fishing line with the housing being freely slidable along the fishing line. A continuous opening extends along the wall of the housing from the top end to the bottom end with the fishing line selectively urged into the housing at an intermediate section of the fishing line. The fishing bobber is provided with a flotation arrangement so as to render the fishing bobber buoyant.
According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, a section of tubing is provided on the fishing line at a predetermined position. Movement of the fishing bobber along the fishing line is obstructed by the tubing at the preselected location along the fishing line. The tubing is preferably provided on the fishing line by passing a free end of the fishing line through a wire loop on which sections of tubing have been provided. One of the sections of tubing is then urged from the wire loop onto a loop formed by the fishing line. Afterwards, the free end of the fishing line is pulled through the tubing so as to position the tubing on a single strand of the fishing line. The tubing is then slid along the line to the preselected location.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a fishing bobber housing is hollow so as to define a chamber within the housing. A passageway extends through the housing from the top end of the fishing bobber to the bottom end of the fishing bobber. A rotatable shaft is provided within the chamber with one or more floats rigidly attached to the shaft. An adjustable shutter is provided in the housing so as to regulate a flow of water into the chamber of the housing. As the bobber fills with water, rotation of the shaft is caused by the movement of the float attached to the shaft. The rotation of the shaft engages the fishing line so as to selectively position the fishing bobber along the line.